Supervised Injection Sites

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Supervised injection facilities such as
Insite and the
Powell Street Getaway operate under a Health Canada exemption from prosecution under federal drug laws. Injection services use a harm-reduction model, which means they strive to decrease the adverse health, social and economic consequences of drug use without requiring abstinence from drug use.

Supervised injection sites are beneficial for the community and for residents:

They help prevent people from transmitting infectious diseases.

They encourage marginalized people to access health care services, including primary care and addiction treatment.

They bring stability to the community by improving public order and reducing the number of injections taking place on the street.

Insite

Insite is North America’s first legal supervised injection site. It opened in 2003 and is located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, where there is a high number of long-term injection drug users. The facility operates under a Health Canada exemption from prosecution under federal drug laws. Insite operates on a harm-reduction model, which means it strives to decrease the adverse health, social and economic consequences of drug use without requiring abstinence from drug use.

Powell Street Getaway

Opened in July 2017, the facility operates under a Health Canada exemption from prosecution under federal drug laws. Staff supervise and monitor clients for signs and symptoms of an overdose at five booths, teaching clients safer injection practices, and referring clients to other health care services such as substance use treatment and counselling.